League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Riverside County, CA November 2, 2004 Election
	Pat Johansen Answers Questions Candidate for State Senator; District 37

Read the answers from all candidates.

Questions & Answers

1. What does California need to do to address the current budget crisis?

Beyond tightening our belts, we should consider a 3 to 5 year, temporary, .25 percent increase in sales tax and encourage tribal compacts that produce significant revenue.

2. What should the state's priorities be for K-12 education? For the Community College System?

California should strive to be in the top 10 states in per-pupil expenditures. In 2002 we ranked 35th in the country. I support more involvement of business in the technical curriculum of our community colleges.

3. What measures would you support to address California's water needs?

Number one is increased conservation by all consumers. Water reclamation efforts and recharging the local aquifer.

4. What should the Legislature be doing to address the needs of Californians without health insurance?

I will support health care legislation to extend benefits to all Californians. SB921 (Sheila Kuehl) is a significant model for a single payer program that could cover all Californians without increasing expenditure levels.